


When the Magic is Gone

by genericfanatic



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Canon Disabled Character, Clueless Character, F/M, Minor Violence, Miscommunication, Only One Bed, stuck together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:07:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21844888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genericfanatic/pseuds/genericfanatic
Summary: Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt is assigned as Rainer's henchperson as she goes to explore possibilities for a lair. However, as  an anti-magic field appears, the two are in more danger than they expected.
Relationships: Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt/Rainer
Comments: 39
Kudos: 184





	When the Magic is Gone

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by the lovely @gaydine-ross on Tumblr for wheelchair use.

Three sounds were all Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt needed to know he was in deep trouble. 

Kathunk

“Shit.”

GROWL!

He turned on his heel to Rainer, who was the one to swear. She was messing with the controls on her chair. “So,” he said to her, “I think this hallways a dead end, and we should definitely go another way.” Adrenaline was pumping in his veins as whatever had made the growl echoed through the cave walls. No way of knowing how close it was, but it was too close for comfort. 

“Mm. That might be a problem,” Rainer said, “My chair isn’t working.”

Fitzroy looked at the wooden chair. The normal lights under it had stopped glowing, and it was sitting on the cave floor instead of floating. It was weird seeing her just those few inches shorter. 

Another growl came from a distance, and Fitzroy was cursing their decision to come here. They were scoping out a Lair for villainy as their lesson, (good lair-choice was important for a villain, and Rainer had chosen Fitzroy for her henchperson on this mission) but clearly something else had set up shop here. 

Rainer lifted her wand, waving it in frustrated motions. “I think there’s an anti-magic shield up. Maybe it activates at nightfall? It was close to nightfall outside, I don’t know--” She was cut off as the growl was a lot more clear. They looked down the passageway to see a direbear, clearly upset they were in it’s cave. 

“Can you walk?” Fitzroy asked quickly, looking around. He’d been trying to depend on his magic more and more in hopes of controlling it, but in doing so he hadn’t brought a weapon. Maybe he could throw a rock at it, but not if he was protecting Rainer at the same time. 

“Not fast enough!” Rainer said, panic filling her eyes as the bear came closer, “Fitzroy, you have to get me out of here! Pick me up!”

“Right!” Fitzroy said, acting on instinct and grabbing Rainer up out of her chair to carry her in his arms. 

Rainer yelped as she was lifted. The bear started to charge. “Fitz, the chair has all my stuff in it!” 

“Oh yeah!” Fitzroy said, grabbing the back of the chair with his free hand and dragging it behind him as he raced through the cave walls. 

Luckily being half-elf, he was half-able to see in the dark caves, and found an opening too small for the bear to follow them into. He had to twirl the chair around a bit to get it to fit, and he nearly hit Rainer’s head on the stalagmites, (tites? He could never remember) but they made their way to another set of tunnels, wandering through until they couldn’t hear the growling any longer. 

The adrenaline wore off Fitzroy and he set the chair down, carefully setting Rainer back in it. “Ok. Well. We did it. But I think we can rule this place out for our lair.”

Rainer had a strange look on her face. She looked almost strained, and Fitzroy was worried he’d hurt her in some way. “Rainer?” he asked.

Rainer shook her head, looking up at him. Or, sort of. “Sorry, can’t see too well down here,” she said, swallowing, “Why...why didn’t you pick me up...IN the chair.”

Fitzroy blinked at her, feeling the sense of ineptitude wash over him. “Oh. Um.” he tried to think of some excuse that would have sounded smart, like priorities, or keeping her safe, or something, but all he could tell her was the truth. “Well, to be honest….I didn’t think of it.” he said, “Kinda ran on instinct. I am very sorry. I’ll do that next time. Assuming we get chased by another bear today.”

Rainer cleared her throat and twiddled with her hair. “That uh. That’s not necessary. I have, I mean the chair, uh. Here, help me up.”

She reached out her hands, clearly only with a vague idea of where he was. He held out his hands to her, holding her under the armpits to pull her up. She ended up falling against his chest and froze there for a moment. “Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine!” She squeaked, then cleared her throat, “There are, um, wheels on the base of the chair. Should be a switch under there to flip them out. I don’t use them very often.”

“Ok,” Fitzroy said, thinking, “Here, can you stand?”

“I’m not paralyzed,” she protested, “It’s just hard to do for too long.” To prove it, she backed away, standing under her own power, but Fitzroy could tell she was shaking a bit. 

“Sorry,” he said, gently overturning the chair so he could get a look at the bottom, “I didn’t mean to imply you were, just trying to make sure you’re ok. I’ll have this ready in a sec.”

It took some feeling around to find the switches Rainer had mentioned, but he worked quickly. He didn’t doubt her, but he also didn’t want her expending her energy more than she had to when they were kinda lost in an anti-magic cave. “Ok,” he said, setting the chair upright, “Ready to roll.” 

Rainer had to feel around for it, but with a little help, settled back in. “Ok,” she said, thinking, “So. I can’t see shit,” she said, “and I can’t use my magic. This is the worst possible choice we could have made.”

Fitzroy smiled, though realized she couldn’t see it. “Well. at least I can’t do accidental magic here.” He gasped suddenly, “Rainer! I can’t do magic here!”

Rainer blinked up at him, not that it allowed her to see any better, “Uh, yeah,” he said, “we’ve established this.”

“My curse has been lifted!” he shouted, punching his fists into the air. The sound echoed through the cave. 

Rainer sent a flat look in his general direction. “Great,” She said, “So glad you’ve found something appealing in the cave full of things that can kill us.”

“Look, I’m not saying it’s ideal at the moment,” Fitzroy said, “But if we get some pest control in here, and some torches, I’d build a summer home here.”

Rainer snorted, “You’d really consider living in a CAVE just to avoid using magic?”

“Hey, with a good interior decorator, this could become a bangin’ hangout,” he said, snapping his fingers. 

She shook her head, using her feet to push her chair backward to feel where the cave wall was. “Well. Do you see any way OUT of your new home away from home?”

Sir Fitzroy turned in each direction, considering. “Um...As it happens, no,” He sighed, “Though we can do a bit of exploring around, see which way these tunnels lead.”

Rainer sighed, “Don’t knock me into any rocks, if you can.”

Sir Fitzroy gallantly pushed her through the long tunnels, Rainer gripping the edge of her chair until her knuckles were pale. He’d say they were white, but he couldn’t really make out colors in this dark. He started humming a tune to help fill the empty silence of wheels on uneven rock. “This is really weird,” Rainer finally said, “I’m helpless and panicking while you’re chipper. It’s like we fell into an alternate universe.”

“There’s no need to panic,” Sir Fitzroy said, “I have everything under control.” He chuckled to himself, “I have my magic under control. Turns out I didn’t need a magic eating orb, just needed this weird magic-eating cave.”

Rainer scoffed. “I still don’t understand your distaste in magic.” 

Fitzroy started humming again, “I don’t hate your magic,” he said, “Well….ok, the squirrel does creep me out, I’m not going to lie about that. But you actually have control over your magic and don’t electrocute your roommate, or have to love a crab.” He blinked, “Huh, we really should have figured out something was up when Snippers disappeared, shouldn’t we? Oh well.”

Rainer winced as Fitzroy rolled her over a particularly nasty bump. “You don’t miss Snippers at all?”

Fitzroy thought about it with a hum, “I mean. He wasn’t like….real, you know? And besides, I can make him come back outside the anti-magic field. I mean, he’s cute, but. I don’t know. It’s not like I have a desperate crab-shaped hole in my life or whatever.”

Rainer was silent for a moment as Fitzroy guided them, “I miss my rodents. I mean, they’re all tucked away in my chair, but it’s weird thinking of them as being so...lifeless.”

“I mean. They are lifeless.” Fitzroy said, “You’re a necromancer, isn’t that like...the point?” Rainer was silent again, and Fitzroy swallowed as he thought about what he said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to uh, insult your whole deal.”

“It’s ok,” Rainer said, “I’ll just...have to adjust somehow. Look on the bright side.” 

Fitzroy smiled, though he knew she couldn’t see it. “You always do know how to stay positive, don’t you?”

“I meant literally,” Rainer said, “I can kinda see outlines of the rocks now. Must be some light leaking in from outside.”

Fitzroy swallowed, “Oh.”

Rainer chuckled at his embarrassment, “Though yes, I guess I like to stay positive as well. A good attitude might not solve all your problems, but it can’t hurt.” 

Fitzroy didn’t know how to respond, and so gave a non-committal hum. “Do you mind if I ask you something?”

“You just did!” Rainer said, and he could hear the wink in her voice. 

“Oh, I meant--I meant something else.”

“Oh, ok, sure.”

Fitzroy cleared his throat. “You’re like. Really positive and happy all the time. How did...how did someone like you get into Necromancy?”

“Oh, that’s a fun story!” Rainer said, relaxing in her chair. “When I was a little kid, my parents gave me a puppy. I couldn’t play outside like the other kids, so the puppy was supposed to be like, my playmate.”

“Ah, I see,” Fitzroy nodded, “So when the puppy died, you learned necromancy to bring it back?

“Actually, the dog was a serial killer who loved the taste of blood,” Rainer said, as though commenting on the weather. 

Fitzroy tripped over a rock, nearly sending Rainer’s chair flying. He managed to catch it just in time. “Hachi Machi!” he said, “I was not expecting that.”

“Neither were my parents,” Rainer said, sighing, “He wasn’t big enough yet to do any real damage. We sent him to the knights to be an attack dog, but before we did he’d managed to decimate the animal population in our backyard. We found all sorts of squirrels, birds, raccoons…”

Fitzroy nodded, “And….THOSE you learned necromancy for? Or were they some evil thing too?”

“No, those I brought back,” Rainer said, “And they’ve been with me ever since,” she said, patting the compartment of her chair where they sat. Rainer hummed contented, “They were my real friends growing up. Helped me out with all sorts of things. People got weirded out by them, but those were the people who usually would pity me or make fun of me anyway. So it all balanced out.”

Fitzroy didn’t honestly know how to respond to that. At school, Rainer lit up the room, and the only time people said anything negative, it was about her overly cheery attitude. He remembered what she had said once, about the school accepting him when Clyde Nite’s Night Knight school had kicked him out. “Huh,” he managed. 

“It’s getting darker,” Rainer said, “I can’t see anything again.”

Fitzroy looked around and noted she was right. Even with his darkvision, it was hard to make things out. “Should we turn back?”

“I think maybe we should stop for the night,” She said, “Make camp here. Hopefully the anti-magic field will lift by sunrise and we can get out of here properly.”

Fitzroy stopped wheeling her. She opened the drawer to her chair, showing Fitzroy where she kept all the adventuring equipment. “So,” he said, unloading some snacks, “There is, of course, no torch in here.”

“Light’s a cantrip,” she explained, “Why would I waste time on something like that?”

“I dunno,” he said, “Maybe in case you were stuck inside a cave with an anti-magic field?” She reached out blindly until she found his head, accidentally messing up his hair. Once she found it, she instantly flicked him in the forehead. “Ok. Deserved that.” he admitted, “There’s also only one bedroll.”

“I normally sleep in the chair when I’m adventuring,” She explained, “It’s enchanted to recline on command. Which of course it’s not DOING right now,” she sighed, “At least I have a head-rest on this thing….”

Fitzroy frowned, though knew she couldn’t see it. “That’s ridiculous. You take the bedroll, and I’ll…well, I mean, I go into a half-trance anyway, so. I’ll be fine.”

Rainer sighed, “You’re really going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

Fitzroy’s frown deepened, “Say what?” 

Rainer groaned, pinching her forehead, “My goodness I’m going to sound like a romance novel written by a twelve year old, but….we could SHARE the bed-roll.”

Fitzroy was pretty sure the sound that came out of his mouth wasn’t entirely human. More like some kind of bird that had been shot with an arrow. “Oh,” he managed, trying to stay more neutral.

“Just...for convenience, you know,” Rainer said, rubbing the back of her neck, “And I don’t know. Saving warmth? We are in a damp cave.”

“You’re cold?” He said, switching to concern immediately. 

“Oh, I mean,” She said, rubbing her arms, “I guess a little.”

“Here,” he said, instantly taking off his half-cape and draping it over her shoulders, “It isn’t very big, but an extra layer is better than nothing.”

Rainer tugged the edges of the cape in on herself to keep herself covered. “Oh, thanks. That’s very chivalrous of you, Sir Knight.”

Fitzroy scowled. “I mean. There’s no need to make fun of me, chivalry is an important part of knighthood. And not like in the sexist way, it’s a legit thing.”

“I wasn’t making fun of you,” she said, “Teasing maybe, but…” she sighed, defeated, “It was very nice of you, Sir Fitzroy.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, picking up the bedroll, “Here, why don’t you have some rations while I set up the bedroll. And it’s not ‘cause I think you can’t because you’re a woman or anything, it’s just...I mean, I can see right now. Not to say you couldn’t do it if you can’t see, just--”

“I get it,” Rainer cut him off before he hurt himself, “You’re very chivalrous, but you also drink your respect women and disabled people juice. I’m all about it, good on you, try and find a place that doesn’t have a weird wet spot.” 

“Right,” he said, searching the ground floor, for a place that didn’t have a weird wet spot. There were surprisingly few of them. “Right, ok. Right.” 

He paced around the cave for a while, the only sounds being Rainer chewing on the rations. She also sniffed heavily a few times while all wrapped up in his cape. He hoped she didn’t have a cold.

“Ok,” he said, looking over his work, “I think that’ll work. Do you...I only ask because I want to be sure, do you need help getting out of the chair and settled?”

“I mean,” she said, “If you’re offering the help I’ll take it.” 

She lifted her arms up again, but this time he pulled her up under her legs, trying to be mindful and not touch anything he shouldn’t, but also getting a decent support under her. He managed pretty well, taking her up in one swift motion. “I don’t weigh anything to you, do I?” she asked. 

“Nah,” he said, easily taking her to the bedroll, “It’s like holding a couple of grapes.”

They settled in, but the roll was clearly not meant for two people, especially when one of them was as broad as Fitzroy. Rainer solved this problem instantly, lying half on top of him, and letting her head pillow on his chest, “Fantasy Jesus Christ,” she said, “It’s so soft.”

Fitzroy was a bit pre-occupied, trying to figure out where his arm should go. Her lower back was bad, so was her hip, lower than that was out of the question, and his arm didn’t bend properly to go higher. He ended up awkwardly balling his hand into a fist and putting it on the ground, which was supremely uncomfortable, but he’d manage. “Oh, well,” he said, “I haven’t been going to the training yard as much as I did at Clyde Nite’s Night Knight school. I suppose I might have lost some of my rock-hard musculature.”

“Oh, that wasn’t a criticism,” she said, nestling her head in, “It’s comfy.”

“Oh,” he managed, because he didn’t know what the proper response to being labeled ‘comfy’ was. He DID know the arm situation was completely untenable, and despite the fact it meant moving Rainer a bit, he needed the bend in his arm. His hand came to rest on her hair and upper back, which seemed safe and respectful given she was on top of him. However, his hand instantly touched a giant tangle in her silky locks. “Your hair got messed up,” he noted.

Rainer tensed, “I mean, we’ve been traveling through a cave all day,” she said, “it happens.”

Fitzroy hummed, “In the morning, I can braid it for you, if you like,” he said, “It might make it easier on missions to have it up.”

She lifted her head, and he naturally turned to look at her, not realizing until it was too late this meant their noses practically banging together. Rainer gasped, he supposed in surprise. “You can braid hair?” she asked.

“Oh, yes,” he said, “I would help my older sister out all the time. Good hygiene is part of being a knight.”

Rainer gave a chuckle, “I should have realized. Sorry if I’ve disappointed your hygiene standards.”

“Oh no, no!” he said, “You’re one of the few people at school who maintain it well. I mean, The firbolg has many good qualities, but I room with him so like. My standards are quite low.”

Rainer snorted, and he could see the little wrinkles in her nose. “Glad to know I’m ranked higher on hygiene than the Firbolg.”

He squinted at her. She was so close her nose was practically touching his. “Again, I don’t know if you honestly think I’m insulting you or if you’re teasing again, but you really are very nice. Like, you’ve got a good fashion game goin’. It’s...beautiful.”

Rainer’s smile widened, “You think so?”

She seemed impossible close now. He could feel her breath on his face...so...so...close.

Growl!

Sir Fitzroy turned down the cave. It took some squinting into the distance, but...something was definitely moving out there.

“Fitzroy,” Rainer said, “Remember that convo about what to do if another bear chases us?”

“Yup,” he said, jumping to his feet and scooping her up in the bedroll. 

As he rushed her back to the chair, they heard the sound of something big rushing towards them. He started by rolling her, but the cave floor was too uneven. He quickly picked it up and started running. 

Rainer was indeed light, but still, holding her, her chair, and everything inside of it took its toll on Sir Fitzroy, and slowed him down. He dared look over his shoulder to see the shadow of his old friend the dire bear catching up to them.

The good news was it was getting lighter, and he looked up. There were cracks in the cave above him, and moonlight streaming in. He could see perfectly now. Except what he could see, unfortunately, was a caved-in dead end straight ahead of him. 

“There,” Rainer pointed at a stream of moonlight coming through one of the bigger cracks. A crack wide enough for a person to fit through. 

Fitzroy came up to a stop. It would take some climbing to get through properly, and no way could the chair fit through. “Here,” Fitzroy said, “I’ll give you a boost.” 

“Fitzroy, I don’t think I can--”

“Come on!” He said, holding out his hand, but not touching her, “I’m your henchperson, it’s my job to help you out.”

Reluctantly, she took his hand. He lifted her by the hips and started pushing her to the opening. She’d had a long day, though, and had exerted herself more than she did on an average day. She shook, reaching for the rocks to pull herself up.

The rock came loose and she came crashing down on Fitzroy. He tried to break her fall as much as he could, but there was a horrible cracking noise and she yelped in pain. It only took a glance to see it was her ankle, probably just sprained but badly timed. He lifted her back to her chair, and they both were panting. 

The dire bear turned the corner, looking straight at them.

“Fitz,” Rainer said, voice shaking, “Get out, climb out and run.”

“No,” Fitzroy said, looking around, “No I can….maybe if I climb, I can pull you up and--”

“There isn’t time!” Rainer said, “I’m the villain and you have to do what I say! Go!”

“I’m your henchperson!” he yelled back, “That means I take the fall for you, not the other way around.” The bear was getting closer. They only had a round to decide what to do before it was on them. “Hit me,” he told her.

“What?”

“I’ve never gone into a rage on my own before,” he said, jumping a bit to get his adrenaline going, “You have to hit--” 

She hit him, straight across the face.

Fitzroy didn’t feel a surge rush through him as he’d heard other Barbarians describe. It was cold, with just a touch, a cool livewire of energy building up deep inside him, building at an increasing speed and ready to burst. 

He turned on the bear, scowl covering his face. The dire bear growled again as it lunged for him, and he yelled in turn, grabbing it’s huge jaws in his bare hands, pushing him back. 

The bear swiped a claw at him, slicing his shirt and knocking him into the cave wall. Stones went rolling around him at the impact, and he lifted his arms to stop himself getting buried. The bear lunged again, biting at his shoulder. He had some experience with fighting a bear, but this one was a tad bigger. Also they didn’t automatically heal at the end. 

He struggled to get free, but the bear let him go before he could. He looked around confused. Rainer was still there, holding the stones that had fallen, one of them having bounced off the bear’s head. The bear turned, ready to pounce on Rainer, giving Fitzroy the time to leap on it’s back, attempting to grab it around its neck. 

The dire bear growled, annoyed at having something on him. It crashed against the cave wall, stones rolling all around him, and for a painful moment Fitzroy couldn’t breath at the impact. 

“Fitz!” Rainer called to him, “Do that again!”

He lifted his head and shouted, “Are you insane?!” when he saw what she meant. The impact had caused more of a break in the rock wall….and Rainer’s chair was humming. The wall must be the outer edge of the anti-magic field….If they could just break through….

Fitzroy dug his hands into the bear’s fur, balling it into his fist, and using all his weight to knock it into the wall. The bear was none to happy about this development, and Fitzroy felt some claws in him he could do without. 

Soon he was once again being crushed between a dire bear and a hard place. Something definitely broke, but he was feeling something else, a little crawling along his arm. 

He looked. Being crushed along with him was Snippers! He couldn’t cast magic while he was raging like this, but Snippers had been cast before, and he supposed just returned now that he was out. 

He took Snippers into his fist and used him to smash into the bear’s head, sending it spiralling through the rock wall, stones crumbling all around them. 

Rainer’s chair hummed fully to life and she took to the air, hovering over the bear. It might be the pain affecting his vision, but to Fitzroy she looked like she was glowing. “I think we’re done with you,” she said,

She held out her hands, and a dark orb appeared, black with white lightning inside. She threw it at the bear, the lightning spreading across it’s skin in ripples as it roared in pain. It officially declared these two too much of a hassle and took off running.

Fitzroy smiled at Rainer, her hair shining in the moonlight. She turned back, and he was confused as to why she was looking at him so horrified.

Oh right, he thought to himself as her chair zoomed towards him, I’m horribly injured.

She caught him just as he was falling forward. He landed on his knees, his head in her lap. “Oh fantasy Jesus,” she said, one hand on his head as she looked through her drawers. “Here, open wide.”

He didn’t really know what she was doing as she pressed something to his mouth, but he quickly recognized the sour taste of healing potion. It did not taste good, but he chugged it down all the same. He sighed, feeling the worst of his wounds heal up and some of his blood replenish. He was so tired though. Like so tired. “Whoo,” he said, lifting himself up a bit, “Ugh, I could really use a change of clo--”

Rainer slapped him in the face. 

He blinked, staring up at her. “What was that for?”

“You are so STUPID!” she yelled at him, “You could have died!”

“Well, yes,” he said, “I guess, but like. I’ve fought bears before, it wasn’t that big a deal. And I wasn’t very well just going to leave you to die.”

She raised her hand to slap him again, but instead just grabbed his face, making him look up at her. “You think that’s what I’d want? For BOTH of us to die?”

He blinked at her, not quite believing her outrage, “I’d rather die futilely trying to save you than live without you.” 

He didn’t understand the faces she was making, if she was angry or happy or what….but he registered enough to recognize a kiss when it was being planted on his lips. 

She held him by his face, keeping him close as she pressed her soft lips on his. His eyes were blown wide open, enough to see her eyes were closed, tiny teardrops sticking to her long eyelashes. 

It felt like forever when she finally pulled away, and all he could do was stare at her in shock. She blinked, looking at his reaction. “Oh,” she said, “You meant that….like in a friendship kinda way, huh? Uhhh,” he still didn’t respond, was not physically capable of responding. His brain had completely shut down. “Well uh. We better get back to Jimson. Let him know we failed the test. Can you walk?”

He stood, but it didn’t completely feel like his own power. He swallowed, still kinda blankly staring at her as his brain scrambled for a thought. “K,” he managed. She quickly turned away and led him down the mountain back into town, not looking back at him once. 

“You didn’t say ANYTHING?” Argo asked him, when they were all back at the tavern. Rainer had turned in early, feigning illness. Everyone else turned on Fitzroy to see what happened, and Fitzroy spilled like a leaky water bottle. 

Right now, Fitzroy had his head buried in his hands to avoid the stares of all his friends, “I didn’t know WHAT to say. I didn’t mean to like...send the wrong signals or whatever, I just. I don’t know! I had just fought a BEAR!” 

“Rainer is...very capable.” The firbolg said in his usual hesitant and pensive manner, “Very pleasing, ah, looks. You will not do better than this.”

Fitzroy let his head fall to the table, “Thanks, Firbolg.” 

“Seriously, sounds cold not to at least turn her down, though why you would is beyond me,” Argo said, “That is one fine piece of kelp.” 

Fitzroy lifted his head enough to glare at his supposed friend, but still kept his chin on the table. “What, so because she’s pretty I’m just supposed to date her, even if I don’t have feelings?” 

“Do you?” The Argo asked, “not have feelings, I mean.”

Fitzroy bit his lip as he thought. How did he feel for Rainer? “I mean, we’re friends,” he said, “I don’t like her making fun of me, though she said it was just teasing and…..oh…” he blinked, “she was flirting with me, wasn’t she?” Argo nodded, taking pity on him. “And...I mean she IS pretty. And funny, in a quirky-kinda-creepy way. And the way she smiles lights up a room, and she’s really smart, and doesn’t look down on me even though I failed, and when she laughs I get these butterflies in my stomach that feels like it’s going to burst and I want to always make her happy and--” 

The words he was saying finally caught up to him. He looked up at the Firbolg and Argo, who were staring him down, waiting for the realization to hit. “I have made a grave error, haven’t I?”

The firbolg grunted. “Yes.” was all he said, but it was all Fitzroy needed to hear. 

Snippers knocked on Rainers door, a note clutched in his claw. 

As the door opened, Fitzroy quickly dove around the corner so as not to be noticed, but kept his ear perked to listen for any reaction from Rainer. He heard the hum of her chair, back in perfect working order, and the rustle of paper. He held his breath, waiting. Maybe she’d chuckle and clutch the paper to her heart. Or maybe she’d scoff at his feeble apology, tear up the letter and throw it away. If so, that was her decision. It wasn’t like he wasn’t used to heartbreak. 

Instead he heard a sigh. What did that mean? Before he could fully wonder, Rainer said, “Come on out, Sir Fitzroy. I can see your elbow.”

He pulled his elbow in, cursing himself for his low stealth ranks. Knowing the jig was up, he stepped out, feeling like he was stepping into fire. 

Snippers was in Rainer’s lap, curled up with the squirrel skeleton. Rainer had her hand on both of them, the letter Fitzroy had wrote in her other hand as she stared him down, eyebrow raised. “A walk in the park?” she quoted to him.

“Well,” he said, swallowing, “I don’t know that many places in town, really, so I don’t know any good date spots. I don’t really know many good date activities at all. Unless you want a drink at the tavern? But that doesn’t sound very romantic.”

She blinked at him, and he felt like a mouse in the clutches of a hawk. A very unimpressed hawk. “So you’re thinking of romance NOW, hmm?” 

“Ah,” he swallowed, “Yes, it seems. I know it’s a bit late, but. Well, I was heavily injured earlier, and wasn’t in a great thinking place, so I didn’t really have a good reaction at that time to talk things out or anything.”

She nodded, slowly, “So this is MY fault?” 

“No, no,” he said, “I just, didn’t know how to process it. I mean, it’s not like I had any signals that you...I mean, there was no way to know before that, that you’d want to, um. Do that.” He flinched at his own words. Why couldn’t he just speak normal?

“Oh, so you needed signals,” she said, crossing her legs, “What, like, me inviting you to a special breakfast with the crepes you’ve been craving? Or maybe me constantly picking you every time we get the chance to choose henchmen? Or perhaps me being struck speechless when you picked me up and carried me in your muscular arms? OR the fact I held onto your cape because it kinda smelled like you? OR suggesting we share the same bedroll and then I almost kissed you?!”

Fitzroy blinked. He didn’t think it was possible to feel so flattered and shamed at the same time. “Well, I mean, uh…” He twiddled his thumbs, looking away from her. “When you put it like that….”

He flinched as something hit him in the face. As he caught it with his incredible reflexes, he saw it was the cape he had draped around her back in the cave. “Snippers,” she said, picking the familiar up, “Your master is a real doofus.” He whined in protest, “I can’t believe I’m going to go on a date with him.” 

He froze. He opened his mouth, going over the words over and over in his head, trying to find other meanings or other possibilities in there so he didn’t assume the wrong thing. “Wait, you actually….you’re serious, or--”

“Tomorrow,” she said, sending the little crab to scuttle back to him, “and I DO know some places in town. I get to pick them. You can’t spell necromancer without ROMANCEr, am I right?”

She winked at him, and he felt like he was struck again. “Can I,” he said, swallowing, “Do you mind, if I could, with your permission, uh, perhaps give you just...just a small kiss on the cheek? In return for the one you gave me and I so foolishly ignored?”

She smiled, and he felt like something in his insides melted, a block of ice deep in his stomach turned to cool and calming waters. She leaned forward, presenting his cheek to him. 

Still hesitant, he bent over, lips out for a chaste peck. At the last second, though, she turned her head, so he kissed her lips instead. He gasped, surprised, but didn’t let himself turn away this time, making sure to give her the kiss she properly deserved. 

She broke apart from him just as suddenly as the kiss had started. “See you tomorrow, Good Sir Knight,” she said, floating back into her room and closing the door. He smiled, stuck again, but this time with bliss instead of surprise. 

That was until his cape started sparking and he realized he had accidentally let off some magical sparks from his hands. Ah well, he thought. He’d rather be stuck with unpredictable magic and with Rainer than without them both.


End file.
